Reinforced insole unit and method of making the same



Sept. 5, 1939. J. M. wHl-:LToN 2,171,719

REINFORCED INSOLE UNIT AND METHOD 0F MAKING THE SAME Filed Aug. 13, 193'? Patented Sept. 5, 1939 PATENT OFFICE' anmroncsn msomr Um'r .um Ms'rnon or Mimmo 'rnn sm John u. when, Peabody, une., miam to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Paterson, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application Ane-ust 1s. 1931, serial Nn. 158,914

l Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in re,- inforced insole units and to improved methods of making the same. Although not limited thereto,

, the invention is herein illustrated in its application to reinforced insole units provided with lastingr lips to which the margins of shoe uppers are` to be secured to hold them in overlasted positions upon the insoles.

Objects of the invention are to provide an im- !0 proved reinforced insole unit having a lasting lip, to improve the construction of reinforced insole units for the purpose of insuring the provision of a level heel seat surface upon the shoe bottom after the upper has been lasted, and to provide l5 improvements insuring the provision of a smooth surface for engagement with the foot in the shank portion of a reinforced insole unit in cases where exceptionally thin insoles are employed.

The lasting lip of the illustrated insole unit is provided by stitching narrow strips of material or tapes to the forepart only of the insole and stitching separate tapes to the heel and shank reinforcing piece after the latter has been preliminarily molded to last conforming shape but before it has been attached to the insole, and

thereafter attaching the reinforcing piece to the insole with the tapes on the reinforcing piece in` line and substantially in abutting end-to-end relation with those on the forepart of the insole.

During the preliminary molding of the reinforcing piece, as herein illustrated, a central elevation or projection is molded upon its heel portion at the side to which the upper materials are to be secured in overlasted position. the elevation being of a height substantially equal to the thickness of the upper materials including the counter so that, after lasting, the surface of the elevation will be flush or level with the surface of the overlasted upper margins. The smoothness of the footengaging surface in the shank portion of the insole unit is insured by interposlng between the insole and the usual metallic shankstiil'ener an auxiliary reinforcing piece which will serve to prevent the shank stiilener from forming any undesirable ridge or roughness in the insole or, alternatively, by forming in the main reinforcing piece (and preferably in the preliminary molding operation) a groove ordepression adapted to recelce the shank stiffe'ner so that the upper surface of the latter will be 'substantially flush with the upper surface of the main reinforcing piece.

'I'he invention will be explained with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which lo Fig. 1 is a bottom plan view of the main heel and shank reinforcing piece employed in my improvedvshoe bottom unit:

Figs. 2 and 3 are sectional views taken. respectively. on the lines II--II and III-III of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the auxiliary heel and shank reinforcing piece;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of the insole:

Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view of the completed insole unit:

Fig. 'l is a sectional view taken along the line VII-VII of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 ls a sectional view taken along the line VIII-VIII of Fig. 6 and indicating by dotted lines the manner in which the marginal portions of a shoe upper are overlasted upon the heel portion of the insole unit; and

Fig. il is across-sectional view of the shank portion of a reinforced insole unit showing a modified construction.

Referring to the drawing, the insole unit illustrated therein comprises an insole il, a main heel and shank reinforcing piece Il, an auxiliary heel and shank reinforcing piece I8, and a shank stil!- ener il. 'Ihe insole I2 may be made of leather or other suitable flexible insole material and, as illustrated, is provided with a central forepart opening 2l adapted to receive a complementary forepart projection or island upon an outsole (not shown) in accordance with a well-known practice in the manufacture of shoes having flexible foreparts. The heel and shank reinforcing pieces i4 and IC are made f fiberboard or other relatively stiff material and are shaped by die cutting operations or otherwise so that each will be 35 coextensive with the heel and shank portion of the insole. As shown, the main reinforcing piece il ls provided with an open notch 2l in its front end portion for receiving the forward portion of the shank stiifener, and a similar notch 26 is formed in the front end portion of the auxiliary reinforcing piece .Il for the same purpose. Preferably, although not necessarily, the reinforcing pieces I4 and i0 are molded to conform them to the shape of the heel and shank portions of the bottom of the last with which the insole unit is to be used, before the reinforcing pieces are assembled with the insole. As herein shown, the main reinforcing piece I4 also has molded in its heel seat portion a central projection Il which extends below the bottom surface of the reinforcing piece a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the upper materials which are to be lasted over the heel seat portion of the insole unit and is prvided for the purpose of lling in the space within the edges of the overlasted upper materials so as to provide a level heel seat after the upper materials have been lasted. As shown, the cavity formed above the projection 28 at the upper side of the reinforcing piece il is illled in with suitable .filling material which may advantageously be applied in plastic form. The shank stiffener Il consists of a relatively narrow strip, preferably made of tempered steel, and curved longitudinally to correspond to the longitudinal curvature of the bottom of a last before being assembled with the other parts of the unit. As illustrated. the shank stiener Il has a spur 32 struck up from its rear portion which is adapted to be embedded in the reinforcing piece I4 to assist in holding the shank stiifener 1n place.

The parts of the unit are assembled with the edges of the heel and shank reinforcing pieces I 4 and I6 alined with one another and with the corresponding edges of the insole and with the shank stiifener i8 interposed between the two reinforcing pieces and properly located both widthwise and lengthwise of the unit. 'Ine auxiliary reinforcing piece Il is secured by means of cement, such as rubber latex, to the lower side of the heel and shank portion of the insole while the main heel and shank reinforcing piece I4 is secured by cement to the lower side of the auxiliary reinforcing piece I8. After cement has been applied to those surfaces of the insole and the reinforcing pieces Il and I6 -which are to be secured together and these parts, together with the shank stiiener i8, have been assembled, the several parts are pressed together by cooperating pressure-applying and molding devices adapted to impart to the heel and shank portions of the insole longitudinal and transverse curvatures corresponding to those already imparted to the reinforcing pieces, and to cause the parts of the unit to be firmly bonded together by the cement and thus to provide a reinforced insole unit in which the reinforced heel and shank portions are accurately shaped in conformity with the contour of the corresponding portion of the bottom of the last with which the unit is to be used. This pressure-applying and molding operation may advantageously be performed by the use of a molding machine, such as that disclosed in Letters Patent of the United States No. 2.065.465, granted December 22, 1936, upon an application of the present inventor. inasmuch as the heel and shank reinforcing pieces have been subjected to a preliminary molding operation before being assembled with the insole, it is practicable to obtain more uniformly molded insole units and the nal molding and pressing together of the parts of the units may be accomplished by the application of only a moderate amount of pressure and the period during which the pressure is maintained may be substantially shortened. In fact, it may even be practicable to secure together the parts of the unit without performing any additional molding operation thereon, relying entirely upon the contour already imparted to the reinforcing pieces to determine the contour in the heel and shank portion ofthe unit.

In order that the insole unitishall be adapted for use in the manufacture of cement-lasted shoes or other shoes wherein the upper is secured to a lasting lip to hold it in overiastedposition on the insole, strips of tape 3l are secured, as by means of stitches 38. to the opposite marginal portions of the forepart of the insole I2 and strips of tape 3l are secured. as by means oi' stitches I0, to the opposite lateral margins of the shank portion of the main reinforcing piece il. inasmuch as the tapes ll will lie -at upon the reinforcing piece il after having been stitched thereto, they will not interfere with the subsequent molding operation, in the course of which the reinforcing pieces and` the insole are bonded together. Preferably, the tapes 38 are stitched to the reinforcing piece I4 after the reinforcing piece has been preliminarily molded but before it has been assembled with the other parts of the insole unit, the stitches 40 extending only through the tapes 3l and the reinforcing piece i4. 'lhe tapes Il may be stitched to the insole I2 either before or after the reinforcing pieces have been assembled with the insole, the tapes being arranged on the insole so that the rear end portions of the tapes will be alined with and will 'substantially abut the forward end portions of the tapes 38 on the reinforcing piece Il. Preferably, however, the tapes 34 will be stitched to the insole before the reinforcing pieces have been assembled therewith, inasmuch as the insole will thenbe in a flat condition so that the stitching may be more easily accomplished. The stitching of the tapes may be done by means of any suitable straight needle sewing machine preferably, although not necessarily, provided with suitable gaging means for spacing the stitching and the tapes in the deh sired spaced relation to the edges of the insole andthe reinforcing piece. By stitching the tapes Il to the reinforcing piece I l before the latter is assembled with the insole, it is much easier to perform this part of the stitching operation, inasmuch as the stitches do not have to pass through more than a single layer of shoe bottom material. Moreover, if the insole is exceptionally narrow in its shank portion, it would be impracticable to stitch the lasting lip to the shank portion of the unit after all of the parts have been assembled because the presence of the shank stiifener would prevent the lines of stitching from being located at the required distances from the edges of the unit. By stitching the tapes to the reinforcing piece before the latter is assembled with the other parts of the unit, however, the lines of stitching may be positioned in the required locations regardless of the narrowness of the shank portion of the insole.

I'he tapes 84 and I8 thus provide the equivalent of a continuous lasting lip adapting the insole unit for use in the manufacturepf shoes wherein the presence of a lasting lip upon the insole is required and avoiding the diiilc'ult operation of stitching through both the insole and a reinforcing piece or, as in the present instance, through the insole and two reinforcing pieces, in attaching the tapes in the shank portion of the unit.

In lasting a shoe provided with my improved insole unit. the lasting allowance of the upper will be secured, as by means of staples, to the tapes which constitute the lasting lip. If cement is used in lasting, the staples will serve to hold the upper margin in overlasted position upon the insole until the cement has become set, after which the lasting lip and the portion of the upper secured thereto may be trimmed on beneath the vllflne of staples. Ab the heel end 0f the 8h08 the marginal portions of the upper materials, including the counter, will be overlasted upon the marginal portion of the reinforcing piece il outside of the raised portion 28, which is sumciently elevated to compensate for the thickness o f the upper materials. As a result a level heel seat will be formed after lasting and there will be no cavity or .depression in the central portion of the heel seat to be filled in by means of iililng material. The depression at the upper side of the filler reinforcing piece Il formed by the molding of the raised portion 28, having been filled with'plastic or other material 30, as already described, there will be no cavity between the reinforcing piece and the insole. Such a construction is desirable if the heel is to be attached with nails or screws inasmuch as the latter may secure firm anchorage in the filling material. However. if the heel is to be attached by means of cement, it may not be found necessary to employ the filling material lli.

As already pointed out. the presence of the auxiliary reinforcing piece I0 between the main reinforcing piece i4 and the insole insures against the possibility of any objectionable ridge being formed in the upper or foot-engaging side of the insole even if the insole is made of exceptionally thin material. Alternatively, the formation of such a ridge in the insole may be avoided without employing an auxiliary reinforcing piece by forming a longitudinal groove Il (Fig. 9) in the main reinforcing piece I for receiving the shank stiffener. Advantageously, this groove 240 may be formed during themolding operation which shapes the reinforcing piece to the contour of the last bottom and also forms the heel seat projection thereon. As shown, the groove 240 is made o-f a depth substantially equal to the thickness of the shank stiifener so that the latter will lie in the groove with its upper or insole facing surface substantially flush with the upper or insole surfaces of the reinforcing piece at opposite sides of the shank stiffener.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A shoe bottom unit comprising a full length insole, an inner relatively stiff reinforcing piece secured to and substantially covering the lower side of the heel and shank portions of the insole, an outer reinforcing piece secured to and substantially covering the lower side of said inner reinforcing piece, a longitudinally curved shank stiffener interposed between said reinforcing pieces, a tape stitched to the marginal portion of the forepart of the insole to constitute a lasting lip in the forepart of the unit, said tape terminatlng a substantial distance rearwardly of the toe of the insole, and a separate tape secured to the marginal portion of the said outer reinforcing piece by stitches which extend only through said tape and said piece, said tape constituting a iasting lip in the shank portion of said unit, the forward portion of the tape on said outer reinforcing piece being in line with and closely adjacent to the rear portion of the tape on the insole.

2. A shoe bottom unit comprising a full length insole of thin, limp material, a relatively stiif reinforcing piece secured to the lower side of the heel and shank portions of the insole, a second relatively stiff reinforcing piece secured to the lower side of the first reinforcing piece, said reinforcing pieces being substantially coextensive with the heel and shank portions of the insole and said second reinforcing piece having a central projection upon the lower side of its heel portion for filling the space within the edges of the overlasted margin of a shoe upper and a corresponding cavity in the upper side of its heel portion, said cavity being filled with lling material for receiving heel attaching fastenings, and a longitudinally curved shank stiilener interposed between said reinforcing pieces.

3. A shoe bottom unit comprising a full length insole. a relatively stl reinforcing piece secured to and substantially covering the lower side of the heel and shank portions of the insole, said reinforcing piece having its central heel portion displaced downwardly thereby providing an integral projection at the lower side of the reinforcing piece for filling the space within the overlasted upper materials at the heel seat of the shoe and a corresponding depression at the upper side of said reinforcing piece, and a longitudinally curved shank stiflener interposed between said reinforcing piece and the insole.

4. A shoe bottom unit comprising a full length insole, a. relatively stiff reinforcing piece secured to and substantially covering the lower side of the heel and shank portions of the insole, said reinforcing piece having an integral projection in its central heel portion at the lower side of the reinforcing piece for filling the space within the overlasted upper materials at the heel seat of a shoe and having formed in its upper side a heel seat cavity and a shank stlffener receiving channel, a longitudinally curved shank stiifener lling said channel, and filling material within said cavity for the reception of heel attaching fastenings.

5. A shoe bottom unit comprising a full length insole of thin, limp material, a relatively stiff reinforcing piece secured to and substantially covering the lower side of the shank and heel portions oi the insole and having a notch in its front end portion, a shank stiifener underlying said reinforcing piece and having its forward portion extending through said notch, a second relatively stiff reinforcing piece secured to and substantially covering the lower side of the first reinforcing piece and said shank stlifener and having in its front end portion a notch corresponding to and registering with the notch in said first reinforcing piece.

'7. That improvement in methods of making shoe bottom units which consists in molding a heel and shank reinforcing piece into conformity with the contour of the corresponding portion of a last bottom and in the molding operation forming integrally with the material oi' the reinforcing piece a projection upon the central heel seat portion of the lower surface of said piece for illling the space within the edges of the overlasted margin of a shoe upper, and securing said reinforcing piece to said insole with a shank stiifener interposed between said parts.

8. That improvement in methods of making shoe bottom units which consists in molding a heel and shank reinforcing piece into conformity with the contour of the corresponding portion of a last bottom and in the molding operation forming integrally with the material of the reinforcing piece a projection upon the central heel seat portion of the lower surface of said piece for filling the space within the edges of the overlasted margin of a shoe upper, and a corresponding depression in the upper side of said piece, filling said depression in said piece, and securing said piece, together with a shank stiener, to an insole.

9. 'I'hat improvementin methods of making shoe bottom units which consists in securing tapes to the opposite marginal portions of the forepart of an insole at the lower side thereof, molding a heel and shank reinforcing piece and thereby forming integrally therewith a projection upon the central heel seat portion of its lower surface for iiiling the space within the edges o! the overlasted margin oi a shoe upper. securing tapes to the opposite marginal portions ot said reinforcing piece for use in conjunction with the tapes on said insole to constitute a lasting lip, and securing said reinforcing piece to the insole.

i0. 'Ihat improvement in methods ci' making shoe bottom units which consists in securing tapes to the opposite marginal portions oi the forepart oi an insole at the lower side thereof, molding a main heel and shank reinforcing piece to provide a longitudinal channel in the upper side oi its cated within said channel. and securing said main lo reinforcing piece and said shank stii'iener to said auxiliary reinforcing piece.

JOHN M. WHELTON.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION. Patent No. 2,171,719. 4.Slepteni'per 5, 1959.

JOHN li. WHELTON.

4 It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification o1' the abovenunbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 5, second column, line h5, after the word and period "piece." insert the following claim e 6. A shoe bottom unit comprising a full length insole of thin, limp material, a relatively stiff reinforcing piece secured to and substantially covering the lower side -of the shank and. heel portions of the insole, a second relatively stir-f reinforcing piece secured to and substantially covering the lower side of the first reinforcing piece, said second reinforcing piece having its central heel seat-portion displaced downwardly thereby providing an integral projection at its lower side for filling the space within the edges of the overlasted margin of a shoe v upper and a corresponding depression at its upper side, and a longitudinallyA curved shank stiffener interposed between said reinfprcing pieces.

ani that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that die same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent 0frice.

signed mi use this 111m day or Ju, A. n. 191m.

Henry Van Arsdale,

(3081) Acting Commissioner of' Patents.

the central heel seat portion of its lower surface for iiiling the space within the edges o! the overlasted margin oi a shoe upper. securing tapes to the opposite marginal portions ot said reinforcing piece for use in conjunction with the tapes on said insole to constitute a lasting lip, and securing said reinforcing piece to the insole.

i0. 'Ihat improvement in methods ci' making shoe bottom units which consists in securing tapes to the opposite marginal portions oi the forepart oi an insole at the lower side thereof, molding a main heel and shank reinforcing piece to provide a longitudinal channel in the upper side oi its cated within said channel. and securing said main lo reinforcing piece and said shank stii'iener to said auxiliary reinforcing piece.

JOHN M. WHELTON.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION. Patent No. 2,171,719. 4.Slepteni'per 5, 1959.

JOHN li. WHELTON.

4 It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification o1' the abovenunbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 5, second column, line h5, after the word and period "piece." insert the following claim e 6. A shoe bottom unit comprising a full length insole of thin, limp material, a relatively stiff reinforcing piece secured to and substantially covering the lower side -of the shank and. heel portions of the insole, a second relatively stir-f reinforcing piece secured to and substantially covering the lower side of the first reinforcing piece, said second reinforcing piece having its central heel seat-portion displaced downwardly thereby providing an integral projection at its lower side for filling the space within the edges of the overlasted margin of a shoe v upper and a corresponding depression at its upper side, and a longitudinallyA curved shank stiffener interposed between said reinfprcing pieces.

ani that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that die same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent 0frice.

signed mi use this 111m day or Ju, A. n. 191m.

Henry Van Arsdale,

(3081) Acting Commissioner of' Patents. 

